After a Covid pandemic break, the Elsie Allen Interact Club is back in full swing this year under the guidance of faculty advisor Doug Gibson and Rotarian Merle Hayes. Join us on May 11 to recognize Doug for his years of dedicated service (he is retiring at the end of this academic year); and learn more from some of the youth leaders Doug and Merle have been shepherding!
Eight Sunrisers Visit Kagoshima West for Their 60th Anniversary in Rotary! by Dave Lorenzen, Harry Coffey, Paul O'Rear, and Steve Amend (with a little help from Shauna, Judy, Penny, and Kathleen!)
Our special guest speakers for May 4, 2023, were Sunrise Rotarians Steve Amend, Harry Coffey, Paul O’Rear and Dave Lorenzen, recapping their 2-week trip to Japan to help celebrate Kagoshima West Rotary’s 60th Anniversary. Also attending the trip were Penny Millar, Shauna Lorenzen, Judy Coffey, and Kathleen Amend. Our relationship with Kagoshima West Rotary began 36 years ago, in the first year of our club’s existence, when former member Dan Lambert was approached by Fran Harger with an idea about a student exchange program between Santa Rosa and Kagoshima. Dan Lambert was interested and set up a committee to investigate this idea with Dave, Tom Eakin, and another former member. Kagoshima West agreed to partner with us in the endeavor and in 1987 we sent students to Kagoshima for the new Santa Rosa Kagoshima Student Exchange Program (SRKSEP). In 1989, a “sisterhood” agreement was signed between Kagoshima West and Sunrise. Since that time over 300 students have participated in SRKSEP, one of our club’s most foundational programs.
Dave Lorenzen gave a brief overview of the trip. The main purpose of the visit was to join Kagoshima West in their 60th anniversary. Our intrepid travelers, however, did much more than celebrate in Kagoshima. They first flew to Tokyo, then to Osaka, took a car to Kyoto, and spent 5 days in Kyoto. From Kyoto they took the bullet train to Hiroshima where they were greeted by the Hiroshima Metro Rotary Club and spent three days. From Hiroshima they took the bullet train to Kagoshima and enjoyed the celebration and the hospitality of the Kagoshima Rotarians. Hiroshima even had a crew or Rotarians waiting for them at the train station with smiles and waves! Starting with their arrival in Hiroshima, everything was arranged by the Hiroshima and Kagoshima Rotarians. Harry Coffey gave us a colorful summary of the visit to Kyoto. What a place! They even had a temple right across the street from their hotel. Kyoto has 4 of the top 10 temples in the country. Every temple is unbelievably cared for, manicured, and trash free. The Chery blossoms were out in force, and floated down like snow. Paul O’Rear talked about the Hiroshima leg of the journey. They took a bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima. It took them 85 minutes to travel 205 miles! They attended the lunch meeting of Hiroshima Metro, visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the museum (which Paul described as disturbing and astonishing, and had dinner with the club that evening, with speeches, toast, and good cheer. Paul bragged that they ate so much in Japan he gained 10 pounds! Japanese fare isn’t so light when you eat it 10 times per day! They took a boat to Miyajima Island, a small island an hour outside Hiroshima. The magnificent torii gate is a World Heritage Monument.
Steve Amend summarized the trip to, and celebrations in, Kagoshima. As in Hiroshima, they were greeted warmly at the train station. They had dinner with Mr. Kogi at the Friends of Santa Rosa Association, met many old friends and former visiting students, and celebrated in several venues, including on a ferry. They also visited the Nagasawa Wine Club hosted by Mr. Kogi at a local hotel. They visited the Heritage Center on the coast, a 300-year-old glass factory, were hosted for dinner and speeches on a ferry, and attended the 60th anniversary celebration, which included the city’s mayor, the governor, and a past International president. The long history of our relationship with Kagoshima West was also highlighted at the celebration. Steve brought up a couple of additional topics, including a proposal that will be made to the Board of Directors to establish an ongoing fund to pay for a blow-out celebration for our own 40-year anniversary in a couple of years and some thoughts about how we can reinvigorate the SRKSEP program. The issue with the program is that we need to fill it with students and Steve urges us to do whatever we can to find local students interested in participating in SRKSEP.
Well done, Sunrisers, and thank you for giving us a wonderful tour of your fascinating and productive 2-week trip taking care of Sunrise business in Japan. (By the way, to learn more about our relationship with Kagoshima West, see our summary of the program from April 7, 2022, in which Keisuke Kogi was the featured speaker.)
Click HERE for a limited time recording including very nice photos!
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Twenty-two Elsie Allen Interactors celebrated their teamwork at Alliance Redwoods this past weekend. As top volunteer hour garners for the year, they qualified to participate in the one and one half day team building retreat.
Seventeen young women and five young men braved Friday and Saturday's rain ~ supervised by Interact Advisor, Doug Gibson, and Sunriser, Merle Hayes.
The Koala's, Monkeys and Bears are team mascots the students chose to plan skits and compete for team points. Students encouraged each other on the zip line course, frequently in the rain, which generated caloric deficits regained via Merel's Hershey & graham smore Rx.
Interactors were offered the retreat for their participation on Interact Service Projects throughout the year: Redwood Empire Food Bank, Thanksgiving meal and warm coat distribution, campus Spring brightening for their Career Conference, Santa Rosa Creek clean up and tree planting by Comstock school.
The students range in age from fourteen to eighteen. Interact brings them multiple opportunities to meet peers outside their normal circle of associations, with different graduating classes and academic interests. Interact is like a blender, giving options to expand contacts both on campus and the wider community.
Our members too get to experience the pulse of teenage life. Sunrise drivers came through: Shauna, Steve's Z and H, Merle, Max C, Jim & Melinda M with Doug Gibson and wife transported everyone to and fro.
After careful tallying, Advisors Gibson and Hayes announced the results of the team competition: A THREE-WAY TIE!!!
First it was "Fines". And when that was thought to be "negative" it became "recognitions" and after that "High Five". But Jack has announced a new twist for these moments, designed to fit every celebration as well as sorrowful news. And it does not have to be a "High Five". "Happy Dollars" and "Sad Dollars" can be whatever you want them to be. Or whatever you feel is appropriate.
Happy Dollars
Steve Worthen said he had the honor to attending the induction of Leroy Carlenzoli’s acceptance into the north coast engineer hall of fame.
Debra Robertson's youngest grandson, Jace, plays on a 12 and over Windsor Cal Ripken tournament team. Because they have made state playoffs the past couple of years, this year they were invited to play in the Cal Ripken World Series in Branson, Missouri without having to be in playoffs.
Max Childs gave an update on twin A, Cassidy. She was invited to the White House twice in as many weeks. She is working for CAP, Center for American Progress, and enjoying the DC life!
President Jack Strange took bragging rights to announce his new ride, a Subaru Turbo!
Sad Dollars
It is with great sadness, President Jack announce the passing of our dear friend, and fellow Rotarian, Jon Stark. Jon died peacefully at home May 2nd with family there... a wonderful example of a life well lived. A card was signed by club members and cherished thoughts were shared.
I believe it is a time in our world for brave, courageous, intentional leadership.
Last month, in this column, you heard from my dear friend Anniela Carracedo. She is an amazing member of our Rotary family, and as a past Interactor and now Rotarian, she is this kind of leader.
Anni shared a very personal story about coping with a panic attack, something that I have also experienced. The outpouring and response to this story have been tremendous and punctuate how critical it is that we acknowledge not only our strengths but our vulnerabilities too.
When we talk about finding space for one another — creating comfort and care within Rotary — we're describing a club experience where we can all feel comfortable sharing like Anni did, and we can all empathize with and support one another. Whatever we are facing in life, Rotary is a place where we know we're not alone.
We spend so much time helping our world, whether it's working to end polio, cleaning up the environment, or bringing hope to communities that need it most. Sometimes we can lose track of the need to apply some of our energy and care to our fellow members and partners in service.
The comfort and care of our members is the single greatest driver of member satisfaction and retention. We need to ensure that it remains a priority — and that we further strengthen these bonds by performing service that helps reduce the stigma of seeking out mental health treatment and expands access to care.
That is why I'm so heartened by President-elect Gordon McInally's wonderful vision to help improve the global mental health system, not only for Rotary members, but for the communities we serve.
When Gordon announced our focus on mental health at this year's International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, he reminded us that helping others benefits our mental health by reducing stress and improving our mood. Studies show that performing acts of kindness is an effective way to improve your own mental and physical health. Rotary service brings hope to the world and joy to our lives.
Our new focus on mental health will take some time to do right, and yet it builds on something that has been part of who we are for 118 years. We are People of Action, and behind that action is care, compassion, empathy, and inclusion.
Becoming champions of mental health is not only the right and kind thing to do, it is a tool that can Create Hope in the World, Gordon's inspiring theme for his upcoming year as president. If we serve our members, we serve our communities, and if we can meet people where they are and lift them up, they will imagine Rotary in a new light and come to fully understand our value and our infinite potential.
"Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can."
While we don't know its exact origin, this widely quoted saying summarizes what Rotary and The Rotary Foundation are all about: We do quite a lot of good, serving people around the world in myriad ways, and we are in it for the long haul.
How many other charities do so much good in so many ways for so many as The Rotary Foundation?
Not only do we, the volunteers, fund most of our projects, but we often contribute significant volunteer hours in organizing and executing them. The "regional offices" of our charity — also known as Rotary and Rotaract clubs — are our reliable go-to partners in the more than 200 countries and geographical areas in which we operate. And when we lack expertise in an area, we partner with outside organizations whose trust we have earned, such as the World Health Organization, to deliver results on the ground that truly change lives.
Unlike some charitable organizations, we don't take the "parachute approach" to humanitarian work. We solve problems in a sustainable way. Before we lift a shovel to start any Foundation project, we conduct community needs assessments and work closely with members of the community. The Foundation also acts quickly when needed, such as through our disaster response grants, as we did with the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Accountants like me and business and community leaders like you pay close attention to the numbers, and in this area, the Foundation is a cut above. In funding projects, we apply Rotary's traditions of fiscal responsibility and ethics to ensure the best use of the resources of our fellow members. We in Rotary are excellent stewards of our grants, with most of the funds going toward humanitarian support itself and relatively little going to grant administration costs. This is why Charity Navigator has consistently given its highest rating to The Rotary Foundation, year after year.
Because our worldwide operation is dedicated to seven areas of focus, volunteers and donors alike have ample opportunities to make a difference where help is needed most. Indeed, the potential to help through the Foundation is limitless.
So, if you are looking for a great charity to support or a way to do all the good you can, look no further than The Rotary Foundation. It is truly one of the greatest charities in the world, and it belongs to you.
More than 300 Interact clubs submitted videos, photos, and essays showcasing their accomplishments for the 2022 Interact Awards. This month we feature some of the clubs that entered the contest. See the winners.
Panama
Helping people and protecting the environment go hand in hand for the Interact Club of Penonomé. In January, a dozen club members converged on a beach in Río Hato in their home province of Coclé. Joined by Rotarians and other volunteers, they removed 20 bags of trash. “We decided to hold this project since the coastline is not only a recreation area but the habitat to many animal species that could very well be in danger of extinction,” says Alejandra Rodríguez, the club’s president. In previous projects, the club has provided children with backpacks filled with school supplies and toys and organized a family day at the children’s school.
United States
To address hunger worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Interact Club of Madison, New Jersey, started a no-contact food collection project in July 2020 to stock a food pantry. The Madison High School students created an online survey and a flyer to gauge the interest of potential donors. More than 100 families and businesses volunteered to fill containers with food items and leave them at their doorsteps for pickup. The Interactors, parents, and other volunteers used an app to arrange efficient pickup routes and communicate with those offering donations. The Madison Ends Hunger project has achieved meaningful results: more than 3,500 bags of food and counting, and about $4,500 contributed to another food pantry through a fundraising site. “I give them full credit for their initiative and the push,” says Doug Willis, president of the sponsoring Rotary Club of Madison. “We’ve gone through two senior classes. The families’ generosity doesn’t seem to be ending, and the kids’ willingness to stick with it seems unending” too.
This story originally appeared in the May 2023 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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Helping people and protecting the environment go hand in hand for the Interact Club of Penonomé. In January, a dozen club members converged on a beach in Río Hato in their home province of Coclé. Joined by Rotarians and other volunteers, they removed 20 bags of trash. “We decided to hold this project since the coastline is not only a recreation area but the habitat to many animal species that could very well be in danger of extinction,” says Alejandra Rodríguez, the club’s president. In previous projects, the club has provided children with backpacks filled with school supplies and toys and organized a family day at the children’s school.
To address hunger worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Interact Club of Madison, New Jersey, started a no-contact food collection project in July 2020 to stock a food pantry. The Madison High School students created an online survey and a flyer to gauge the interest of potential donors. More than 100 families and businesses volunteered to fill containers with food items and leave them at their doorsteps for pickup. The Interactors, parents, and other volunteers used an app to arrange efficient pickup routes and communicate with those offering donations. The Madison Ends Hunger project has achieved meaningful results: more than 3,500 bags of food and counting, and about $4,500 contributed to another food pantry through a fundraising site. “I give them full credit for their initiative and the push,” says Doug Willis, president of the sponsoring Rotary Club of Madison. “We’ve gone through two senior classes. The families’ generosity doesn’t seem to be ending, and the kids’ willingness to stick with it seems unending” too.